De Blasio pitches partnership in ABNY speech

Nearly three years after he pitched a millionaires' tax to a "lion's den" of business leaders, Mayor Bill de Blasio called on the same group to join him in helping address income inequality in the city.

In a 43-minute speech to the Association for a Better New York on Thursday morning, de Blasio promised to invest in economic development, while imploring business leaders to increase employee pay while he fights for a state-mandated higher minimum wage.

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He also asked them to hire New Yorkers from all five boroughs, while vowing an improvement in city-sponsored job training programs.

The mayor pledged the city would continue to spend money on economic development and job growth—priorities for those in attendance—while asking them, in turn, to voluntarily pay their workers at least $13 an hour.

"We're investing. We've got a lot of skin in the game," the mayor said, drawing applause when he referenced his promise to establish a five-borough ferry system.

"Now that I've talked about how the city of New York will do our part to tackle our inequality crisis, I want to call on you, the business leaders gathered in this room, to do your part. I need you—we all need you—to take responsibility for providing the great people of this city with the opportunities for better wages and the chances for advancement that they need and they deserve," he said. "That means hiring New Yorkers from every neighborhood."

And, he added, "It also means raising wages for your workers. This is the crucial need of our times. Companies across our city should move as quickly as possible to raise their minimum wage to over $13 an hour."

The remark received scattered applause.

The mayor has said he will push the state for the higher minimum wage as well as local control of the rate—a plan opposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republicans who control the State Senate.

Overall, de Blasio's speech was largely a rehash of his core programs, namely universal pre-kindergarten and an expansion of affordable housing.

He did offer one new initiative, announcing plans to spend $150 million over 12 years to revitalize the 329-acre Hunts Terminal Market in the Bronx, a major wholesale center that sits on 329 acres of land and employs more than 8,000 people.

De Blasio said the investment would "fortify" the city's food supply and ensure more of it is locally grown by working with upstate New York farms.

"This investment in Hunts Point will modernize the buildings and infrastructure that are currently there," he said. "It's also going to open up new space for new businesses. And this is about not just making sure that that area is economically strong and viable for the future, it's also about making sure that it is resilient and sustainable."

Following the speech, Kathy Wylde, president and C.E.O. of the business coalition Partnership for New York City, agreed the city "faces an affordability crisis," but said she supports Cuomo's plan, which would increase the minimum wage to $11.50 in New York City and $10.50 statewide.

The state's minimum wage is currently $8.75 and slated to increase to $9 an hour by the end of this year.

Wylde also said the business community "has growing confidence in the mayor," particularly since he abandoned his attempt to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers after it failed to gain traction in Albany.

"Well, we weren't crazy about the millionaire's tax," she said with a laugh, adding the business community will be his "full partner" in job training and "other affordability issues."